Australian Christian Lobby managing director and retired Brigadier Jim Wallace has put out a call for courage and integrity in public office in a challenging lead article in the latest edition of Viewpoint magazine.

Addressing an issue too often ignored, Mr Wallace urges those taking part in the 43rd Federal Parliament to “set themselves the highest standards of courage and integrity and to commit to protect and demonstrate it, as is so essential in the highest leadership calling in the nation”.

At a time when the bedraggled NSW Government has been seething with scandal and others in the higher echelons of power have not kept their commitments on key policies, Mr Wallace warns of the need to guard against corruption, scandal and ‘backflips’.

He reminds politicians that “if charity begins at home, then so too does integrity”.

“There is a tendency today to view the private and public as separate, but this is a clear fallacy. A person’s private behaviour is very indicative of how we can expect them to carry themselves and act in public life,” he writes.

In his article, Mr Wallace examines the courage of people such as William Wilberforce and Martin Luther King and states: “Today it takes great courage to defend the rights of the unborn or the right of a child to a father and a mother against the powerful ideological agendas that would redefine family and life; just as it requires courage to honour foreign aid in the face of a global financial crisis or in supporting the rights of refugees.” The full text of Mr Wallace’s article can be read by clicking here.

Viewpoint magazine aims to inform and influence policy makers on issues of concern, particularly to the Christian constituency. It is published three times a year and goes out to all federal and state politicians, a growing subscriber base, and is sold in selected newsagencies around the nation.

Other issues covered in the just-released October 2010 edition include:

Problem Gambling: Independent Denison MP Andrew Wilkie has made a deal with the Gillard Govt to address problem gambling. Will these strategies work?

Fairtrade: Many Christian, and other ethically minded consumers, are switching to Fairtrade products. What is Fairtrade and does it make a difference?